The following discussion of the prior art is intended to place the invention in an appropriate technical context and enable the associated advantages to be fully understood. However, any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should not be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Endoscopes allow physicians to inspect the internal cavities of the human body. They do this by using lenses and/or small cameras cooperating with rigid or flexible tubes to provide a visual image. They also allow the physicians to take biopsies and retrieve foreign objects through the use of additional manipulators.
A typical endoscope, as found in a physician's office or hospital surgery, will be used repeatedly throughout its life. It is therefore vital that it be completely sterilized after each use to avoid the potential transmission of diseases, such as AIDS, Hepatitis, etc.
One known method of sterilization is disclosed in Australian Patent No. 741580. In this method, the endoscope is placed into a closed chamber and an aerosol of air and nebulised hydrogen peroxide is introduced to fill the chamber. The aerosol distributes quickly and evenly within the closed area to sterilize the inner and outer surfaces of the endoscope.
This process requires the safe transport, storage and dispensing of a sterilization fluid such as hydrogen peroxide, which in the past, has been found to be problematic. That is, because hydrogen peroxide is a very strong oxidizer, it should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from any flammable or combustible substances. Ideally, it should also be stored in a container formed from a non-reactive material such as stainless steel, glass or some plastics. Furthermore, it is known for hydrogen peroxide to break down quickly when exposed to light, and therefore generally opaque containers should also be used. For this reason, pharmaceutical formulations of hydrogen peroxide typically come in brown bottles that filter out light.
Aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide may also be harmful if they come into contact with human skin. This is especially the case when the hydrogen peroxide is highly concentrated. Care should also be taken when dispensing a sterilization fluid, which should be done in a generally closed system, where no residual liquid is left on fittings or containers that may later be in contact with human skin.
Accordingly, there is a need for a container to safely store and transport the toxic liquids used with sterilization devices. So as to discourage the potentially hazardous practice of refilling, the supplier should also ideally seal the container at the point of initial filling. Additionally, the container should cooperate with a safe dispensing apparatus to facilitate the safe dispensing into a sterilization device.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.